Haute Top 5: New York Hotel Lobbies You’ll Want to Hang Out In

From a bar hidden behind a bookcase to an actual library with cocktail service, these hotel lobbies aren’t home to just your regular check-in counter. Guests of the hotels and locals alike frequent these havens for their cool vibes, impeccable decor and modern artwork that rivals any museum.

1 NoMo SoHo

The greenery leading up to NoMo SoHo’s lobby is enough to launch a thousand Instagrams, and its acronym describes the lobby perfectly: nostalgic and modern. The airy space, surrounded by lavish flora, is an oasis that transports guests away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Located inside is the NoMo Library Bar, an upscale speakeasy that serves drinks behind a hidden bookshelf wall.

2 Highline Hotel

The Highline Hotel, located in Chelsea, is a local and traveler favorite. In the 1800s, the hotel was a redbrick dormitory which has since been converted but kept its old-time quirks. Taxidermy and rustic art lines the walls, and the smell of Intelligentsia coffee wafts in the air by day; the café turns into a chic bar by night.

3 Gramercy Park Hotel

Gramercy Park Hotel’s rich history sets it apart from the rest. Its halls have been walked by legends from Kennedy to Madonna, and the hotel’s reputation continues to draw the city’s most iconic artists. The lobby houses original artwork from artists such as Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst and Jean-Michel Basquiat, and the Rose Bar consistently draws the city’s most fashionable crowd.

4 Nomad Hotel

The Nomad Hotel, located in the Flatiron District, is housed in what used to be a Beaux-Arts building that has since been restored to its elegant, turn of the century grandeur by designer Jacques Garcia. The lobby houses Kitchen Arts & Letters, a culinary library home to best sellers, how-to books, and many rare and out-of-print volumes.

5 The Standard Highline

The Standard is a Meatpacking District landmark, with some of the best amenities the city has to offer under one roof: a New American steakhouse, a beer garden, a seasonal ice-skating rink, and iconic nightclub Le Bain. Its funky lobby is in in tune with the hotel’s overall cool factor, its sleek design created by Ennead Architects.